AI Targeting, Ethics, and the Guns of August

https://www.democracynow.org/2026/3/18/ai_warfare

Everyone is talking about AI right now and unless you've had your head in the sand, you're aware of the discussions regarding the Pentagon's use of the technology and suspicions and claims that it was AI targeting that resulted in the hit on the girl's school in Minab, Iran. Over 175 were killed as a result and while Anthropic has protested and subsequently been blacklisted by the Pentagon, reports suggest that Palantir and other platforms still make use of Anthropic AI.

For years there were discussions about the ethics of robots in battle. Well, the use of AI has circumvented this debate and now computers are actively involved in targeting. The sheer speed of operations means the human element is minimal and unable to keep up.

Ritter, Russia, and Hersh

https://consortiumnews.com/2026/01/23/scott-ritter-getting-it-wrong-on-russia/

Seymour Hersh has been on my mind as of late. I was able to watch the 2025 documentary Cover-Up, directed by Laura Poitras. It traced and highlighted aspects of career and offered some interesting and candid moments.

The Right's Distorted Take on The BBC-Trump Controversy

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/the-bbc-is-the-voice-of-western-self-loathing/

The BBC was guilty of misrepresenting Trump's speech but Hume is also distorting the facts. Trump absolutely incited the riot and numerous people connected to him also played a part.

A Double Standard When it Comes to Ukraine's Clampdown on Dissenting Churches

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-trials-of-pro-Russian-clergy-in-Ukraine-63875.html

We see supposedly Liberal Ukraine applying its Western values by dissolving denominations the state does not favour. How is this any different from what Russia is going to Evangelicals, Jehovah's Witness, and others? Or China with unregistered churches?

US Special Forces and Latin American Drug Cartels

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/8/14/fort_bragg_cartel_seth_harp

Undoubtedly this story will prove shocking to many, but for anyone that has ventured down this road of inquiry, it is in reality an old story going back to the end of World War II. This is just the latest chapter in a larger story of US government, CIA, and US military complicity in drug trafficking that ties in with the Kuomintang and the Golden Triangle, the Mafia and Marseilles, the French Connection and Turkish smugglers, the Contras and Colombia.

Media Cover-ups and Fragmentation over Gaza Policy

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-civil-war-erupts-over-gaza-as-gop-rep-says-starve-away/

In some respects it seems like the situation in Gaza is getting less and less coverage even while the situation remains acute, with at least dozens dying every day, killed by bullets, bombs, starvation, or other forms of deprivation. The media is derelict and refuses to properly cover the story nor the fact that Israel has killed over two hundred journalists, and is clearly unwilling for anyone to do on the ground reporting.

Boeing and its Place in the US Empire

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2024/5/2/whistleblower-joshua-dean-ex-worker-at-boeing-supplier-dies

Boeing is too big to fail. As a member of the S&P100, the company constitutes a large and essential component within the stock market as well as the US security apparatus. Boeing builds commercial jets and does billions of dollars in military contracts. In fact it's the second biggest military contractor in the United States (and third in the world).

Bandera's Birthday Celebrations and the Polish and Israeli Response

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2022-07-01/ty-article/ukraines-berlin-envoy-draws-israeli-polish-ire-with-comments-on-wwii-leader/00000181-baff-da42-abdd-bfffdbc10000

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/poland-pm-to-remind-ukraine-that-glorifying-bandera-unaccept

Even as Polish support for The Ukraine War has led to tensions with fellow V4-member Hungary, Warsaw is not entirely happy with the Zelenskiy government. 1 January marked the birthday of Stepan Bandera, the fascist OUN-B leader and Nazi collaborator whose paramilitaries (such as the UPA) were responsible for tens of thousands of Polish and Jewish deaths during the World War II.

The Death of an Arch-Hypocrite and False Christian

Ken Starr has died and while his name will be forever associated with the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, he remained a well-known and active figure in Right-wing circles, even into the Trump era.

Militarism, the Anti-Russia Campaign, and Video Game Propaganda

https://www.newsweek.com/call-duty-modern-warfare-highway-death-russia-gulf-war-1468207

I quit reading Newsweek years ago and as a consequence missed this 2019 story. The video game industry is already replete with pro-military propaganda and yet in this case it's worse than insidious, a blatant attempt to lie and manipulate history.

Serbian Orthodoxy and the Politics of the Djokovic Affair

https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/serbian-orthodox-church-profoundly-disappointed-over-djokovic-s-visa-cancellation-asks-for-immediate-repeal-and-written-apology

In times past you wouldn't have found a Western-connected Evangelical group sympathizing with the plight and positions of the Orthodox world and indeed were Djokovic a Russian, the response would have likely been different.

US Support for the TPLF

https://jeffpearce.medium.com/ethiopia-the-wests-diplomats-meet-in-secret-to-decide-how-to-help-the-tplf-cb87f2d30777

Pearce's article and reporting in general is obviously hostile to the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The point here is neither to vindicate the ruling Abiy government or to defend or demonise the Tigray leadership. What's salient is the fact that the leaked Zoom video demonstrates a point that I and others have been trying to make – that despite official proclamations of support for Abiy in the past, or neutrality in the present conflict, the West and the US specifically support Tigray goals and their restoration to power in Addis Ababa.

Spinning Pegasus

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/29/1022214491/leaks-reveal-spyware-meant-to-track-criminals-targeted-activists-instead

The Fresh Air interview contained some helpful information but it was overshadowed by an air of absurdity. There were numerous elephants in the room that were being ignored leading one to question the sincerity of the participants.

Confused Ethics and Evil Library Displays in Pennsylvania

Northwestern Pennsylvania has been the site of a recent controversy that is starting to appear in some national media outlets. A school board member referred to a pro-sodomite library display as evil and as you might imagine this generated a significant backlash prompting both support and calls for his removal.

Gülen, Kenya and Turkey's MIT

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57304094

Kenya was the scene of a previous Turkish intelligence (MIT) operation in the late 1990's when (with the help of the CIA) the head of the PKK was captured. This time it's unclear if Nairobi was a willing participant in the MIT operation though it seems unlikely that Turkey would have risked the international scandal to capture someone that frankly is not exactly a high-value target.

Erdogan's AKP is continuing its campaign against the Gülenist movement. They have been unable to get their hands on Fethullah Gülen himself who has lived in the Pennsylvania Poconos since 1999.*

A Shocking Act: Ryanair Flight #4978

So said the US government in regard to the RyanAir flight diverted by Belarus to Minsk. Ostensibly threatened by a bomb, all admit the move was made by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko in order to seize an opposition journalist with Western ties.

The Anti-Russia Campaign Exposed

https://thegrayzone.com/2021/02/20/reuters-bbc-uk-foreign-office-russian-media/

The greatest irony surrounding this story is that it reveals the British government is actively engaged in the very sorts of activities they repeatedly accuse Russia of. And don't think for a moment the US government is any different. I guarantee the campaign is actually on a more massive scale.

The Low-Hanging Fruit Approach to Justice

Perusing the news, the Lori Laughlin story caught my eye again – something related to her being in prison. Overall I care nothing about the story. I don't know who this actress is and I really don't care either.

I recall the coverage of the story last year. It wasn't something I was interested in but it was often in the background on BBC while I was working or in the car.

Rush Limbaugh's Phony Profession and Testimony

According to Christian media we are supposed to be excited that at long last after thirty years on the public stage (and as his voice is soon to be silenced due to terminal illness), Rush Limbaugh is at last a Christian. He has a 'personal relationship' with Christ.

Greenwald Quits The Intercept

Greenwald's departure wasn't all that surprising apart from the fact that he was the key name associated with The Intercept's founding in 2014. The online magazine arose in the wake of the Snowden revelations and yet within a few years it began to decline.